School or keep off? DH and I don't agree.

[JustFab]

DS2 is 6. Said he had head ache, sore throat and tummy ache. Gave Calpol. Temp went from 37 to 36.7 after 20 minutes on Calpol. His normal is 36.6.

I am feeling pretty grotty at the moment myself.

Well done

(I hate those indecisive, are they/aren't they-sort-of-viral-beginnings!)

Personally in the 'weigh up all the evidence including gut feeling' camp - rather than any hard and fast rules - and if still unsure, will take in to school and ask them to try doing just a few hours then tell teacher if still not ok.

Temps aren't everything (you can have a very ill child with no fever, or a reasonably well one with a raised temp) and nor is eating breakfast. I always eat when I'm ill

ps hope you feel better soon, ds too

I had this dilema with dd this morning, I kept her off and now she seems fineish but I think thats due to regular calpol, if I had sent her in im pretty sure I would have had a fone call to pick her up!!!

That is why it is so hard. Calpol took his head ache away and then he said his head hurt because his brother dropped something and it banged. He was grinning about coming home and then looking pale. He hasn't eaten much lunch at all and he chose something he really likes but doesn't have that often so I know he isn't right. Feel bad for taking him in now but I did bring him home after a chat with the matron.

DS2 has had a 2 hour sleep. Temp up and down even with 4 hourly calpol. Looked flushed and feels hot. Has tummy ache and sore throat. Have to go now to get DS1.

After keeping DD off and she is now perfectly fine I had ti pick up DS as he had a nosebleed that the school couldnt stop!!

What's wrong about dosing them up to school?

Well, it clearly means they are ill otherwise they won't have a temperature and you wouldn't need to dose them up. Ill children will spread their illness to other children and staff so it is:

• not good from a public health perspective
• not good from your child's perspective because he may take longer to recover as really he should be resting
• not good from your child's and the rest of the class' perspective as he is not going to learn much if he feels unwell and may actually hinder the learning of the others

So all in all, I am firmly of the view that if a child is ill, he should stay home. Inconvenient maybe, but better for the child and better for the other children and teachers.

Well said dikkertjedap

But this child didn't have a temperature. It was 37, which, afaiaw, is perfectly normal.

And tbh if everyone kept their kids off school every time they had a slight sniffle, schools would be half empty.

Not sure LackaDAISYcal, you could argue that if parents did not send ill children to school, less children would get ill as illness wouldn't be continually passed around ...

I have seen kids come into school with almost every conceivable illness (measles, rubella, chickenpox, flu, tummy bugs, tonsillitis, whooping cough, slapped cheek, impetigo, severe ear infections, weeping sores, conjunctivitus, lost voice ("he will be nice and quiet today" ). Child being deadly pale, vomit on his clothes, clutching his tummy and mother saying 'He should be okay, he is just trying it on'. Other times, kids were simply shoved through the door and parent disappeared at lightning speed and remaining uncontactable during the day ignoring any phone messages we left to come and collect their child.

*What's wrong about dosing them up to school?

Well, it clearly means they are ill *

So, you never take something like paracetamol and feel perfectly well enough to continue with life? You stay at home with the slightest feeling of illness?

There's a big difference between the illnesses you've listed and a bit of a non specific viral thing though and there will always be parents who can't/won't put their kids above that important meeting/earn money to feed them/get alternative childcare for a myriad of different reasons. Wrapping kids in cotton wool isn't great for the populations immune system as a whole though. We need to catch and get over things to make our immune systems stronger; auto immune conditions are on the rise as a result of our modern lives being too sanitised I gather from the limited research I've done into my own myriad of auto-immune conditions.

How is your DS today OP?

If I have to dose myself up to go to work then I don't see a problem with dosing the kids up to go to school. If sick or obviously sick then I keep them off, but under the weather and slightly high temp means they go in.DS has always rallied and been fine at the end of the day, I just make up for it with a treat and a favourite tea.

37 degrees isn't a temperature is it? I would send him, my four only are off if they are above 38 and clearly unwell.

It wasn't just a temperature though. He also had head ache, stomach ache, a sore throat and coating on his tongue. His temperature was also going up and down in a minutes and then did all day. His temp this morning was 38.7 so I have kept him off again. He is brighter in himself but better at home.

You are clearly doing the right thing :) hope he is better soon.

He assures me he will be better for tomorrow .

Great positive thinking there!

Isn't it?

Just went to get dd and ds2 complained he was cold. He was shivering. Gave him nurofen after a much more qualified person said shivering = temp and when I got home I took it and it was 39.6 .

oh no, are you going to get him checked out?

temp is now normal. He has eaten tea and is playing.

that was maybe the end of it..hopefully!

calpol will bring a temp down, but body still may be brewing something, only makes them feel better while paracetamol is working. He may also feel awful, whats the big deal with a duvet day for a 6 year old!